Lanita Moss, President and YSC Co-Founder
In 1996, at the age of 32, Lanita was diagnosed with Paget's disease, a form of breast cancer. Lanita has a strong family history of early onset breast cancer, which has had a unique influence on her approach to breast cancer issues. Two years later, Lanita, with two other young women, co-founded the YSC after finding a distinct lack of support and services for young breast cancer survivors. The same year, Lanita lost her husband, Tom Hausman, in the Swissair 111 crash off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Lanita's life is marked by turning personal adversity into advocacy for others. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and a member of the Kansas Bar, Lanita uses her legal background to further the mission of the YSC in order to provide support and services for all young women diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a graduate of Project LEAD® and helped found YSC Kansas City. A family affair, Lanita, her husband, and step mother-in-law participated in the 2007 Hershey's Tour de Pink, a 200-mile bicycle ride from Hershey, PA, to New York City, raising funds for the YSC and awareness about young women and breast cancer.
An air safety activist, Lanita served as a board member of the National Air Disaster Alliance. She also was a family representative on the American Red Cross International Air Safety Disaster Committee. In addition, Lanita has been a volunteer and speaker for aviation disaster response for the Kansas City Red Cross and a speaker for Delta and Southwest Airlines regarding aviation disaster response.
Lanita lives in Kansas City with her husband, Colby Moss, and their two daughters, Elliott and Hunter.
Anna Cluxton, Vice President
Anna joined YSC in October 2001 as a volunteer and was nominated to the Board in 2003. Prior to her role as Vice President, she was the Affiliate Liaison and chaired the Volunteer Development Committee. She also co-founded and led the Central Ohio Chapter of the YSC.
Anna is a Project LEAD® graduate, a Lifetime Television Breast Cancer Hero and the recipient of an Astra Zeneca Vision of Hope Award. She has served as a Team Leader for NBCC and three times as an advocate reviewer for the California Breast Cancer Research Program. She has presented on a local and national level on breast cancer in young women, on research issues and her own story. Her commentary provides the young perspective in Judy Kneece's well known book Your Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook.
With an M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration, Anna has worked in the breast health and cancer genetics programs at Riverside and Grant hospitals in Columbus. However, her current work is managing two research studies at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, including a national Patient Navigator Research Project and an NCI RO1 Colorectal screening project.
Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2001, at age 32, five days after returning home from her honeymoon. She and her husband Brian live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two rescued pit-bull mixes.
Dinamarie Alcuri, Secretary
Dinamarie joined the YSC in 2001 when her friend, Lisa Marie Muccilo, founded the New Jersey Networking Group. After Lisa lost her battle with breast cancer, Dinamarie served as President of the Northern New Jersey Affiliate from 2003 to 2007. She has helped to raise over $400,000 for the YSC and launched numerous programs and partnerships within the service area. Dinamarie played an integral role in the Northern New Jersey Group reaching Affiliate status.
Involved on both the local and national level, Dinamarie has served on the YSC's National Volunteer Development Committee, Affiliate Leadership Conference Planning Committee and National Affiliation Committee. She is a Lifetime Television Breast Cancer Hero and recipient of the YSC National Lisa Muccilo Award for Excellence in Volunteering.
Dinamarie also plays a key role in other nonprofits throughout the Northern New Jersey community including Komen for the Cure, Scleroderma Foundation and Girl Scouts. In both 2006 and 2007, she earned the President of the United States' Volunteer Service Award — Gold Level.
Dinamarie is the Allocations Manager for the Sportswear Division of apparel manufacturer Phillips-Van Heusen. With over 11 years experience in the fashion industry, her strengths are in budget forecasting, operational efficiency and team building. Dinamarie earned a BS in Marketing from The College of New Jersey. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters Degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Michael Wirth, Treasurer
Michael Wirth is the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Vice President of Kohlberg Capital Corporation. Mr. Wirth has over 25 years experience in the financial services sector and has managed over $2 billion in real estate debt and equity securities and advised or structured over $30 billion in structured real estate debt. During his career as a CFO, he has led and executed five IPOs of REITS and/or finance companies.
Christine Benjamin
Christine Benjamin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who began studying photography after her diagnosis of breast cancer in 2000. Her portraits of breast cancer survivors have won several awards including the Capelli D'Angeli Foundation Women with Cancer first prize and Women in Photography International Turning Silver Juror Choice 100. Additionally, her work has been published in Self and Moment magazines. Christine has co-created the YSC's Point of Contact training program for POC volunteers and is an active member of the Diversity Committee.
Karen Borkowsky
In 1998, at the age of 32, Karen was diagnosed with early stage invasive breast cancer. Karen is the 4th generation in her family to have the disease, and her mom is now a 21-year breast cancer survivor. At the time of her diagnosis, she left her career at Macy's as a Women's Shoe Buyer to focus on her treatment and wellness. She devoted her time to walking, raising funds for breast cancer and getting to know other young women with breast cancer. Her breast surgeon, Dr. Jeanne Petrek, who was killed in NYC in 2005, introduced her to the newly formed YSC in early 1999.
Karen's involvement with fundraising walks for breast cancer and the early meetings with YSC young survivors were very much a part of how she got through the many tough days. She used this experience, to leave her "old shoes" behind and start a new career in the nonprofit world of breast cancer. First, at the American Cancer Society, as Director of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and, since 2003, at the Avon Foundation as Program Director for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. At the same time, she continued to be involved with YSC, supporting events like In Living Pink, attending conferences and retreats and participating on various committees. Her experience has allowed her the opportunity not only to have a great impact on the cause (the Avon Walks alone have raised over $200 million since 2003) but also to share her story of hope and survivorship with the clear message that "early detection helps save lives."
In August, 2007, she married her high school sweetheart and best friend. She recently left the Avon Foundation and is now taking some time to focus on building her family and lending more support to the YSC. Karen and her husband Bob live in New York City.
Mitchell Fink
When Mitchell's daughter Andrea received a diagnosis of breast cancer, he turned his passion for bicycling and fundraising efforts for cancer causes into a way to help her. After participating in the YSC Hershey's Tour de Pink, he became active in helping to organize the annual event, and that has led to his expanded YSC efforts as a member of the Board of Directors. Mitchell has an extensive background in the design and implementation of computer systems serving clients in the financial services industry. Operating his own consultancy practice since 1975, engagements have included the audit of existing systems and making evaluations and recommendations for change. This has led to an expanded focus of reviews and designs of internal controls and corporate governance. He has been a member of the Board at the New York University Management Institute as well as an Adjunct Professor. Mitchell has served on a number of other not-for-profit Boards.
Lisa J. Frank
Lisa is a founding member of the YSC and attended the first YSC meeting on November 1, 1998, just a month and a half after being diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer at the age of 36. A member of the original Board of Directors and the first fundraising co-chair, Lisa has remained involved in the YSC, working on the annual Hershey's Tour De Pink and In Living Pink fundraisers and currently sits on the Board Development Committee. In August 2004, Lisa had a second primary recurrence and was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at the age of 43. The first call she made after her second diagnosis was to the YSC. Lisa is a lawyer for ADP, Inc., the national payroll service and major partner in the YSC's ResourceLink program.
Jason Mittman
With over 13 years of investment and brokerage experience in commercial real estate, Jason Mittman is the Senior Vice President of Real Estate for BY Properties in San Antonio, Texas, where he is responsible for all day-to-day business activities. Jason has been involved with the Young Survival Coalition as a donor and a fundraiser since its inception and is the founder of the Women's Adventure Race, an event in Austin that raises money exclusively for the YSC. He is the recipient of the YSC Houston Chapter "Hero Award." Jason has served as a board member of several nonprofit and public company boards including the International Technology and Trade Network, the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, PESO Industries and Studio Resource Systems. Jason graduated with a BA in Management from the University of Texas San Antonio. Jason is an competitive athelte and likes to combine the races he participates in with fundraising for the YSC.
Ann Partridge, MD, MPH
Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and serves as the Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer in the Breast Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her clinical research focuses on psychosocial, communication, and survivorship issues in breast cancer, with a particular interest in the unique issues facing young women with breast cancer including fertility concerns.
Dr. Partridge serves as a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Survivorship Task Force, Fertility Preservation Guidelines Committee and Health Services Committee. She is also Co-Chair of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) Committee on Advocacy, Research Communication and Ethics (CARE) Committee. She has received awards and grants for her research including an ASCO Career Development Award, Tracy Starr Breast Cancer Research Fund Award and Lance Armstrong Foundation Cancer Survivorship Award.
Dr. Partridge graduated from Georgetown University, earned her M.D. at Cornell University, trained in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and completed hematology and medical oncology fellowships at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She also received a master's degree in public health at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Randi Rosenberg
Randi Rosenberg is a founding member and former President of the Young Survival Coalition. She is a young breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 1998 at age 32. Since her involvement in the YSC, Randi has assisted in the creation of YSC's Medical Advisory Board, comprised of interdisciplinary oncology specialists from across the United States and Europe. In addition, she has led YSC's Research Task Force, building a plan to formulate and advocate for research specific to issues of early onset breast cancer. During her tenure as President, YSC's capacity more than doubled, and, in 2002, the Avon Foundation's named the YSC among "The Most Powerful Women in Breast Cancer." Ms. Rosenberg is a graduate of Project LEAD® and represents the YSC on various boards including the National Cancer Institute's CALG-B Cooperative Group and the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LiveSTRONG™ Young Adult Alliance, where she was a founding member and served as the inaugural Advocacy Co-chair. Additionally, Randi sits on the Steering Committee of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network.
After the "reality check" of her cancer diagnosis, Rosenberg followed her longtime dream of entrepreneurship and left the corporate world to start her own marketing consulting firm, where she specializes in direct marketing and strategy development for conferences, seminars and executive education programs. Randi is also a professor at New York University, where she teaches a course on Marketing and Revenue Strategy. In June 2004, six years after her diagnosis, she gave birth to her first child, Alexandra Marais.
Roberta Levy Schwartz, YSC Co-Founder, Ex Officio
A recognized national leader in health care management, Roberta is the SVP of Operations for The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Prior to joining The Methodist Hospital in 2001, Roberta worked as Director of Business Development for Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York City) and as a consultant to a number of academic medical centers for Computer Sciences Corporation. Roberta has a Masters in Health Science from Johns Hopkins University and an honors undergraduate degree from Barnard College at Columbia University.
A long-time breast cancer activist, Roberta was a member of the board of the Greater New York City Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and served as 2002 Komen New York City Race for the Cure Chair. In 2003, she received the coveted, national Komen Jill Ireland Award for Volunteerism. In 2007, Houston Hadassah named Roberta a "Woman of Courage," and Roberta was just named a 2008 Yoplait Champion.
Roberta is a member of the Texas Lyceum and serves on the Lifegift Board. She resides in Houston with her husband Lee, their two daughters and young son.
Joy Simha, YSC Co-Founder; Co-Chair, YSC Advocacy and Research Committee
Joy represents YSC on the Board of Directors of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) and is a Project LEAD® graduate. She sits on the International Advisory Board of The Cochrane Collaboration's Child Health Field and she also serves on the Consumer Coalition of the Cochrane Collaboration. Joy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 at the age of 26. At the time she was a single career girl. Her advocacy work began the day she was diagnosed and she realized how little was known about breast cancer in young women, treatment options, fertility after breast cancer and long-term survival rates. A video producer, Joy lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two children.
